# Converting to kindle files

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-to-kindle-files/593094>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 17, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-to-kindle-files/593094 "2011-08-17T23:38:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-to-kindle-files/593094/1 "2011-08-17T23:38:33Z")

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What is a good program to convert PDF, DOC or palm files to AZW?

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**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-to-kindle-files/593094/2 "2011-08-18T01:15:05Z")

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[Calibre](http://calibre-ebook.com) can convert to .mobi which should work for you.

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**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-to-kindle-files/593094/3 "2011-08-18T03:46:22Z")

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Yeah, calibre works great. If you’re like me and like to add a lot of navigation entries, though, and not just “table of contents,” you need to create the .opf file manually.

Also, PDF files are oftentimes a bad source file, unfortunately…

ETA: Mobipocket Creator works well too.

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-to-kindle-files/593094/4 "2011-08-18T03:55:58Z")

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[Mobi2mobi](http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_Mobi2Mobi_GUI_Vista/XP) is an excellent little program for conversion. It also allows you to edit metadata easily.

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**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-to-kindle-files/593094/5 "2011-08-18T10:09:01Z")

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I have never had good luck converting PDF files to mobi using calibre. Kindle should read PDF files without conversion. However, the screen size tends to be too small to read most PDFs formatted for 8.5x11 paper documents easily.

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-to-kindle-files/593094/6 "2011-08-19T01:31:31Z")

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Looks like calibre it is.

Thanks, all. 🙂